Something
The Anxious Generation specifically calls out as problematic about online relationships is how disposable they can be; if someone online offends or upsets you you can just block them and move on without giving it a second thought.
Real life relationships aren’t like this; you have to invest in repair and maintenance to keep them up. You have a limited number of times that you can “go no contact” with people before you find yourself alone. And people like this in the real world are usually pretty easy to identify and avoid — the embittered self-righteousness and victimhood is obvious, so others quickly learn to keep them at arm’s length.
This is the same principle why you can have fiery fling on vacation but struggle to talk to the cutie next door — the next door person you only get one shot with.
AI risks amplifying all this. Not only is the AI already far too agreeable and unbound by morals or conscience, you can reset it whenever you want, if you do happen to tell it something that takes it in a direction you don’t like.
That this could become the next generation’s training wheels for how friendships and partnerships function is terrifying.
